Serve Nutritious Meals
The eating habits children learn when they are young have a huge impact on what foods they prefer as they grow. Child care providers can play a big part in making sure children learn to enjoy nutritionally balanced meals.
But it can be expensive to serve fresh, healthy food. Children’s Council offers monthly financial support to family child care providers for serving nutritious meals through the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program.
The average annual amount of reimbursement for providers in the Food Program is roughly $4,500-$6,700 (depending on various factors).
All child care providers who participate in our Food Program must follow these updated standards to receive CACFP reimbursement. Download the new Food Program Handbook. (Spanish/Chinese)
Providers in the food program receive:
- Direct deposit payment for nutritious meals served in family child care homes
- Guidance on food service, meal planning, nutrition, budgeting, program management and record keeping
- Access to workshops featuring nutrition information, recipes and a review of program requirements
- Free online claiming with KidKare
To join our Food Program, please send us your contact information, send us an email or call 415.276.2900.
Providers in the food program will: To join the Food Program, please send us your contact information. All child care providers who participate in our Food Program must follow these updated standards to receive CACFP reimbursement. The CACFP meal pattern, which was last updated in 1968, now allows for a wider variety of meat alternatives and calls for whole grains, more fruits and vegetables and lower sugar limits, while also promoting breastfeeding. These new regulations are a great step forward. At Children’s Council, we are honored to support our child care provider community as they provide the children in their programs with nutritious meals, so they can live healthy and happy lives. Below is a snapshot of the new regulations. Developmentally Appropriate Meals: More Nutritious Meals: More Protein Options: Lower sugar limits: Encourage and Support Breastfeeding: For more details, click here for the infant/child meal pattern (Spanish, Chinese). If you want to learn more about the new meal pattern, check out the Association for Child Development website, which offers trainings, shopping guides and summaries. Another good resource is from Let’s Move Child Care. Our friends at the Child Care Food Program Roundtable has gathered food program resources from all over the country. Check it out here. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation offers a calculator which helps you easily determine if your yogurt, breakfast cereal, or milk meets the requirements of the CACFP meal pattern. If you are currently in the Food Program, you can receive immediate assistance from your assigned Health and Nutrition Specialist: Carmen Chan: 415-343-3303 (Cantonese/English) Julisa Nunez: 415-355-6286 (Spanish/English) Kelly Martinez: 415-355-6289 (Spanish/English) Venus Savea: 415-276-2903 (English) Child Care Food Program Holiday Verification Notice 2021 Child Care Food Program Holiday Verification Notice 2020 Claim and Payment Schedule 2019 Direct Deposit Authorization Form Meal Pattern for Infants and Children Medical Statement to Request Special Meals Parent/Guardian for Declining Participation in Child & Adult Care Food Program The U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or by email. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish). Verificacion de Dias Feriados del Programa de Comida del Cuidado Infantil 2021 Verificacion de Dias Feriados del Programa de Comida del Cuidado Infantil 2020 Fechas Para Reclamos/Reembolsos Para El 2019 Formulario de autorización de depósito directo Certificación Medica Para Participantes Que Requieren Alimentos Especiales Padre Declinen la Participacion Patrones de comida para infantes USDA Approved Food Program Recipies Seasonal Newsletter and Activity Pages Growing a Healthy Future with CACFP (Eng/Spn) Choose Yogurts Lower in Added Sugars (Eng/Spn) Children’s Council’s Food Program is proud to be an affiliate of WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program, administered by the California Department of Public Health/WIC Division. Click here to learn more. Joining the Food Program
Providers Currently in the Food Program
Documents and Forms - English
Documentos y Formas - Español
Resources